Emmanuel Abodunrin
The easiest way to touch Jesus Christ and receive anything from him is to touch Him by faith, the General Overseer of the Cherubim and Seraphim Bible Ministry, Pastor Gideon Oyedepo, has said.
Speaking during a sermon titled: ‘We all need faith’ at the headquarters of the church located at 2, Airways Street, Ijesha, Surulere, Lagos, the consummate preacher elucidated on the book of Luke 8: 43 – 48.
He explained that the faith of the woman with an issue of blood stood her out in the crowd and gave her healing that had eluded her for 12 years.
When the woman “came from behind and touched the border of His garment. And immediately her flow of flood stopped,” the pastor asserted that it was her faith that stood her out in the crowd that had enveloped Jesus Christ at that point in time while she received her healing from twelve-year tribulation.
According to Oyedepo, irrespective of one’s needs and desires, faith is a common factor/ denominator to get one’s prayers answered.
Be it promotion, breakthrough, children, and healing, among others, he counselled that Christians needed unshakeable faith to achieve them all.
Wondering why many Christians lacked the faith, the man of God admonished them to develop unshakable faith that could be likened to that of the woman with the issue of blood in Luke 8.
The man of God explained that, as believers, our faith should exhibit some characteristics displayed by the woman.
He explained that faith, according to the story of the woman, could not be bought with money.
Bible says the woman has spent all her money on treatments for 12 years but she didn’t need any dime to get her healing when she touched the garment of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Whatever faith will produce, no amount of money can buy it,” Oyedepo declared.
The woman broke the law, according to the preacher, adding that the singular act exemplified the second characteristic of her faith.
He said, “By the law of the land, she was not supposed to be in the city because of her infirmity and was not expected to touch a holy thing. However, because of her faith, protocols are breached. Where faith is operational, laws of man are set aside.”
“The woman had faith; she defied the law of the land because faith supersedes human laws,” he added.
The woman was practical, which is the third element of her faith. Oyedepo explained that she didn’t just give up on her infirmity but made a practical move to seek Jesus Christ in the crowd, struggled her way through the multitude, touched His garment and got her healing instantly.
The man of God further taught that faith must follow a course of action.
He said, “Faith takes immediate advantage of spiritual opportunities. People who have faith don’t waste spiritual opportunities; they are always looking for more.
“Those who lack faith are insensitive; they take everything for granted. They are disconnected from God.
“If the woman had not taken the leap of faith to seek Jesus and touch His garment, she would have died with the disease.”
He advised believers to understand how faith works so that it can keep working for them.
“God of faith will make it work for you in Jesus name,” Oyedepo prayed.
” Imagine the multitude of people around Jesus Christ that day, it was only the woman with the flow of blood that faith worked for,” he said.
Quoting verses 47 – 48, Oyedepo declared that a person who had a testimony could not be hidden no matter what.
Bible says, “Now when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling; and falling down before Him, she declared to Him in the presence of all the people the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately.
And He said to her, “Daughter, be of good cheer, your faith has made you well.”
Commenting on the bible verses, Oyedepo noted, “When you are not getting results, what you need is faith. Whatever you are going through, work on your faith. Faith is an overcomer. Faith is victory. If you don’t have victory, work on your faith; choose another course for your faith.”
“Double up your faith, your prayers, your evangelism, your meditation. Once the devil takes faith from a believer, such a believer is rendered unstable.”
He advised Christian’s against being doubters by quoting Romans 14:23, which reads:”But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin”
He also emphasized on being at the right location as a critical ingredient of faith.
“Your location is important. Why? It is because God is not doing the miracles for you, He is doing it for His glory.
“Your faith can move mountains and let your faith begin to work for you. Do not doubt what the Lord will do.”
He warned that the absence of a solution for some moments did not mean solution was impossible.
“You carry something bigger than you can imagine. You only need to operationalise your faith,” he said,“ The woman with the flow of blood had carried the problems spending her fortunes on it for 12 years but she wasn’t aware that she carried what she needed to solve the problems, which was faith. Until she activated her faith, she didn’t get her healing.”
No one could stop believers’ faith from working for them, Oyedepo gave the assurance while concluding the sermon.
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